Manual of the Mother Church Part 3

Working Against the Cause. SECTION 7. If a member of this Church shall, mentally or otherwise, persist in working against the interests of another member, or the interests of our Pastor Emeritus and the accomplishment of what she understands is advantageous to this Church and to the Cause of Christian Science, or shall influence others thus to act, upon her complaint or the complaint of a member for her or for himself, it shall be the duty of the Board of Directors immediately to call a meeting, and drop forever the name of the member guilty of this offense from the roll of Church members.h.i.+p.

No Unchristian Conduct. SECTION 8. If a member of this Church were to treat the author of our textbook disrespectfully and cruelly, upon her complaint that member should be excommunicated. If a member, without her having requested the information, shall trouble her on subjects unnecessarily and without her consent, it shall be considered an offense.

Not to Learn Hypnotism. SECTION 9. Members of this Church shall not learn hypnotism on penalty of being excommunicated from this Church.

No member shall enter a complaint of mental malpractice for a sinister purpose. If the author of SCIENCE AND HEALTH shall bear witness to the offense of mental malpractice, it shall be considered a sufficient evidence thereof.

Publications Unjust. SECTION 10. If a member of The Mother Church publishes, or causes to be published, an article that is false or unjust, hence injurious, to Christian Science or to its Leader, and if, upon complaint by another member, the Board of Directors finds that the offense has been committed, the offender shall be suspended for not less than three years from his or her office in this Church and from Church members.h.i.+p.

The Mother Church of Christ, Scientist, Tenets. SECTION 11. If a member of The Mother Church of Christ, Scientist, or a member of a branch of this Church break the rules of its Tenets as to unjust and unmerciful conduct--on complaint of Mrs. Eddy our Pastor Emeritus--and this complaint being found valid, his or her name shall be erased from The Mother Church and the branch church's list of members.h.i.+p and the offender shall not be received into The Mother Church or a branch church for twelve years.

Special Offense. SECTION 12. If a member of this Church, either by word or work, represents falsely to or of the Leader and Pastor Emeritus, said member shall immediately be disciplined, and a second similar offense shall remove his or her name from members.h.i.+p in The Mother Church.

Members of Branch Churches. SECTION 13. A member of both The Mother Church and a branch Church of Christ, Scientist, or a Reader, shall not report nor send notices to The Mother Church, or to the Pastor Emeritus, of errors of the members of their local church; but they shall strive to overcome these errors. Each church shall separately and independently discipline its own members,--if this sad necessity occurs.

Article XII--TEACHERS

Probation. SECTION 1. For sufficient reasons it may be decided that a teacher has so strayed as not to be fit for the work of a Reader in church or a teacher of Christian Science. Although repentant and forgiven by the Church and retaining his members.h.i.+p, this weak member shall not be counted loyal till after three years of exemplary character. Then the Board of Directors may decide if his loyalty has been proved by uniform maintenance of the life of a consistent, consecrated Christian Scientist.

Misteaching. SECTION 2. If a member of this Church is found trying to practise or to teach Christian Science contrary to the statement thereof in its textbook, SCIENCE AND HEALTH WITH KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES, it shall be the duty of the Board of Directors to admonish that member according to Article XI, Sect. 4. Then, if said member persists in this offense, his or her name shall be dropped from the roll of this Church.

MEETINGS

Article XIII--REGULAR AND SPECIAL MEETINGS

Annual Meetings. SECTION 1. The regular meetings of The Mother Church shall be held annually, on Monday following the first Sunday in June.

No other than its of officers are required to be present. These a.s.semblies shall be for listening to the reports of Treasurer, Clerk, and Committees, and general reports from the Field.

Meetings of Board of Directors. SECTION 2. The annual meeting of the Christian Science Board of Directors, for electing officers and other business, shall be held on Monday preceding the annual meeting of the Church. Regular meetings for electing candidates to members.h.i.+p with The Mother Church, and for the transaction of such other business as may properly come before these meetings, shall be held on the Friday preceding the first Sunday in June, and on the first Friday in November of each year. Special meetings may be held at any time upon the call of the Clerk.

Called only by the Clerk. SECTION 3. Before calling a meeting of the members of this Church (excepting its regular sessions) it shall be the duty of the Clerk to inform the Board of Directors and the Pastor Emeritus of his intention, and to state definitely the purpose for which the members are to convene. The Clerk must have the consent of this Board and the Pastor Emeritus, before he can call said meeting.

CHURCH SERVICES

Article XIV--THE CHRISTIAN SCIENCE PASTOR

Ordination. SECTION 1. I, Mary Baker Eddy, ordain the BIBLE, and SCIENCE AND HEALTH WITH KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES, Pastor over The Mother Church,--The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Ma.s.s.,--and they will continue to preach for this Church and the world.

The Lesson-Sermon. SECTION 2. The subject of the Lesson-Sermon in the morning service of The Mother Church, and of the branch Churches of Christ, Scientist, shall be repeated at the other services on Sunday.

The correlative Biblical texts in the Lesson-Sermon shall extend from Genesis to Revelation.

Article XV--READING IN PUBLIC

Announcing Author's Name. SECTION 1. To pour into the ears of listeners the sacred revelations of Christian Science indiscriminately, or without characterizing their origin and thus distinguis.h.i.+ng them from the writings of authors who think at random on this subject, is to lose some weight in the scale of right thinking. Therefore it is the duty of every member of this Church, when publicly reading or quoting from the books or poems of our Pastor Emeritus, first to announce the name of the author. Members shall also instruct their pupils to adopt the aforenamed method for the benefit of our Cause.

Article XVI--WELCOMING STRANGERS

The Leader's Welcome. SECTION 1. Mrs. Eddy welcomes to her seats in the church, persons of all sects and denominations who come to listen to the Sunday sermon and are not otherwise provided with seats.

The Local Members' Welcome. SECTION 2. It shall be the duty and privilege of the local members of The Mother Church to give their seats, if necessary, to strangers who may come to attend the morning services.

Article XVII--SERVICES UNINTERRUPTED

Continued Throughout the Year. SECTION 1. The services of The Mother Church shall be continued twelve months each year. One meeting on Sunday during the months of July and August is sufficient. A Christian Scientist is not fatigued by prayer, by reading the Scriptures or the Christian Science textbook. Amus.e.m.e.nt or idleness is weariness. Truth and Love rest the weary and heavy laden.

Easter Observances. SECTION 2. In the United States there shall be no special observances, festivities, nor gifts at the Easter season by members of The Mother Church. Grat.i.tude and love should abide in every heart each day of all the years. Those sacred words of our beloved Master, "Let the dead bury their dead," and "Follow thou me,"

appeal to daily Christian endeavors for the living whereby to exemplify our risen Lord.

Laying a Corner Stone. SECTION 3. No large gathering of people nor display shall be allowed when laying the Corner Stone of a Church of Christ, Scientist. Let the ceremony be devout. No special trowel should be used. (See SCIENCE AND HEALTH, page 140.)

Overflow Meetings. SECTION 4. A Church of Christ, Scientist, shall not hold two or more Sunday services at the same hour.

Article XVIII--COMMUNION

No more Communion. SECTION 1. The Mother Church of Christ, Scientist, shall observe no more Communion seasons.

Communion of Branch Churches. SECTION 2. The Communion shall be observed in the branch churches on the second Sunday in January and July of each year, and at this service the Tenets of The Mother Church are to be read.

Article XIX--MUSIC IN THE CHURCH

Soloist and Organist. SECTION 1. The music in The Mother Church shall not be operatic, but of an appropriate religious character and of a recognized standard of musical excellence; it shall be played in a dignified and suitable manner. Music from the organ alone should continue about eight or nine minutes for the voluntary and six or seven minutes for the postlude, the offertory conforming to the time required to take the collection. The solo singer shall not neglect to sing any special hymn selected by the Board of Directors.

Article XX--SUNDAY SCHOOL

The Sunday School. SECTION 1. Pupils may be received in the Sunday School cla.s.ses of any Church of Christ, Scientist, up to the age of twenty years, and by transfer from another Church of Christ, Scientist, up to that age, but no pupil shall remain in the Sunday School of any Church of Christ, Scientist, after reaching the age of twenty. None except the officers, teachers, and pupils should attend the Sunday School exercises.

Teaching the Children. SECTION 2. The Sabbath School children shall be taught the Scriptures, and they shall be instructed according to their understanding or ability to grasp the simpler meanings of the divine Principle that they are taught.

Subject for Lessons. SECTION 3. The first lessons of the children should be the Ten Commandments (Exodus 20: 3-17), the Lord's Prayer (Matt. 6: 9-13), and its Spiritual Interpretation by Mary Baker Eddy, Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5: 3-12). The next lessons consist of such questions and answers as are adapted to a juvenile cla.s.s, and may be found in the Christian Science Quarterly Lessons, read in Church services. The instruction given by the children's teachers must not deviate from the absolute Christian Science contained in their textbook.

READING ROOMS